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Creating Motivation: Analysis of Google, Starbucks, and Whole Foods

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Creating Motivation: Analysis of Google, Starbucks, and Whole Foods
Abstract
Starbucks, Whole Foods and Google are three Fortune 500 companies that exhibit unique loyalty by their employees and have developed non-traditional methods for increasing employee motivation. They have achieved this success in part because of their ability to communicate with their employees. It is because of this communication that they are able to motivate employees through intrinsic rewards.

Creating Motivation: Analysis of Google, Starbucks, and Whole Foods
Introduction
Ralph Waldo Emerson said: "Our chief want is someone who will inspire us to be what we know we could be." By championing new and innovative methods of employee motivation, companies are satisfying this need in their employees and inspiring new levels of achievement. Three Fortune 500 Companies that excel at employee motivation and are leaders in thinking outside of the box to achieve new levels of employee commitment and success are Whole Foods, Starbucks and Google. Each of these companies has a culture of motivation that includes using proven theories and models for motivation, but they are also pioneers in trying new techniques and proving new theories for obtaining employee inspiration and motivation.
Use of Traditional Motivation Models and Theories
In reviewing the three companies, each company is devoted to embracing process theories in how they motivate their employees. Whole Foods and Google seem to be especially aware of the need to customize and individualize programs for motivation and extrinsic rewards. Google helps accomplish this individualization by allowing each engineer in the company to take one day a week to work on a project of their choice (Rodriguez). This practice is perhaps the ultimate in individualization, not only allowing the employee to choose the project but allowing them the autonomy and independence to manage the choice and project. Starbucks on the other hand, has developed a completely customizable


References: Batstone, D. (2005, November). Helping Employees Into Hybrids. Business 2.0, 6(10), 38-38. Retrieved April 5, 2008, from Business Source Premier database. Erickson, T., & Gratton, L. (2007, March). What It Means to Work Here. Harvard Business Review, 85(3), 104-112. Retrieved April 5, 2008, from Business Source Premier database Gallo, Carmine. (2008, January, 4). Your New Title: Chief Inspiration Officer. BusinessWeek. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/print/smallbiz/content/jan2008/sb2008014_303969.htm Gallo, Carmine. (2008, January, 9). Bringing Passion to Starbucks, Travelocity. BusinessWeek. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jan2008/sb2008019_492857.htm Google. (n.d.). You can be Serious without a Suit. Google: About Us: Philosophy. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from http://www.google.com/corporate/tenthings.html Michelli, Joseph A. (2007). The Starbucks Experience. New York: McGraw-Hill. Starbucks. (n.d.). About Us: Starbucks Coffee Company. Starbucks Corporation. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/ Whole Foods. (n.d.). Why Work Here?. Whole Foods Corporation. Retrieved April 6, 2008, from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers/workhere.html
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